Artificial hand.



F. C. HENNING.

ARTIFICIAL HAND.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I. 1918.

Patented Mar. 25,1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1 F. C. HENNING.

ARTIFICIAL HAND.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I. 1918.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A'TTVS.

F. C. HENNING.

ARTIFICIAL HAND. APPLICATION FILED FEB.1. ms.

' Patented Mar. 25,1919.

v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITFSD era-sens PATENT onnron.

FREDERICK C. EENNING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN'OR TO THE MIRACLE ARTIFICIAL ARM 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ARTIFICIAL HAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25,1919.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FREDERICK C. HnN- Nine, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Artificial Hands, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such .as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyin drawings, which form a part of this speci cation.

7 My invention has for its object to produce an artificial hand in which the fingers and thumb shallpossess a degree of flexibility which will permit them to be opened and closed in such a manner as effectively to grasp articles of various sizes and shapes. Viewed in one of its aspects my invention may be said to have for a subsidiary object the production of a novel digit for an arti ficial hand. i

' A further object of the present invention is to produce a simple and novel means for locking the fingers and thumb of an arti ficial hand in a closed position, retaining them in such position while the hand is moved about in various directions, and unlocking them at will.

A further object of the present invention is to produce a' simple and novel con struction and arrangement which will permit an artificial hand to be quickly connected and disconnected to the arm members without affecting the adjustment of any of the principal mechanisms.

The various features of novelty wheieby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention'and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a rear elevation of an artificial hand arranged in acc'ordnace with my invention, together with the attaching members adapted to support the hand from points above and below the elbow of the wearer;

Fig. 2 isa perspective view on an enlarged scale, of the hand detached from the supporting parts;

Fig. 3 is a view of the same parts shown in Fig. 1, showing the opposite side from Fig. 8, the parts being shown in the positions in which the locking devices are 0 en;

Fig. 5 is a view on a somewliat larger scale than Fig. at showing only the lock device in an unlocked or open position, differing from the position shown in Fig.4 in that movements of the hand and forearm within limits will have no effect on the locking device while the parts occupy the position shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the locking device in its locked or closed position;

Fig. 7 is an end view of the locking device, looking toward the right hand side of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a detail of some of the finger joints and operating connections;

Fig. 9 is an elevation on the same scale as Fig. 2 of the wrist portion of the hand and the adjacent portion forearm member; and

Fig. 10 is a section taken approximately on line 10-1O of Fig. 9.

In the drawings I have illustrated my invention as applied to a structure adapted to be worn by one retaining a portion of the forearm and, for the sake of brevity, I shall confine the detailed description of my invention to this embodiment although it will of course be understood that the various features of my invention may be used in other relations.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a hollow member of any suitable material having the shape of a hand minus the thumb and fingers and including a wrist. 2 is a thumb member pivotally connected adjacent to the outer edge of its base to the body member of the hand as indicated at 3. The fingers are each made up of a third joint. 3, and a combined first and second joint, 4: the finger members being made hollow and of any suitable material. The two members of each finger may convenientlv be connected together and'to the body of the hand by means of pivotally connected arms or links, best shown in Fig. 8. Referring to this latter figure, 5 is a metal piece adapted to be secured in the member 4 of one of the fingers and 6 is a metal piece adapted to extend through and be secured in the member 3 of the corresponding finger. The members 5 and 6 are pivotally connectedtogether as in dicated at 7; the pivotal point being at the joint between the members 3 and 4. A rod,

8, extends transverselythroughthe member 1 just beneath the location of the knuckles in a human hand and the rear ends of the pieces 6 are journaled on this rod. The journali'ng of the members 6 on the rod"8 may conveniently be effected by drilling holes of the proper size in the member 6 and insertingthe rod through them. "Each of the pieces 5 has integral therewith af'downwardly extending arm, 9, forming therewith a bell-fcrank lever. 'Adj acent to each of the elements fi is an arm, 10, hung'n-pon': the rod H'onsed within tlie"*me'mber 1 near' t he wrist is a rock shaft; 12, lying parallel" with the rod 8. Two=radiallye'Xtendin-grocher arms, 13 and 14, arerigidly'connected to the,

rock shaft. "Between'the free'e'ndofthe arm l ir'and'the third and fourth-fingers is an equalizingactuating mechanism"which "may conveniently take the formof' tw'o' connectin'g rods, 1 5,'connectedto thefreeends of the swinging arm's,l0,-corresponding to the third and fourth'fingers and connected also' at their opposite'e'nds to an equalizin g bar, l6 a-c'on nectingrod,-17, being pivotally connected at one'end to the middle'of theequalizin'g bar and being connected atits'other' end to the free end of therocker'arm, 13. "A similar equalizing actuating mechanism eXtends'between the rockerarm, l lyand the first and second fingers. 'An adjustable connecting rod, l8,-'extends from the free end of the rocker arm, 14, toa point, l9,"attheba'se of the thumb member 2, ata considerable dis tance from'the pivotal axis 3, preferably on the opp'ositesideo'f the thurrb from this axis. A sprin g, 20, attached to a third rocker arm, 21, on the shaft 12 tendsalways to hold the shaft in aposition wherein the -'actuating mechanisms are thrust forward toward the fingersa's far as they will-go, holding the hand in theop'en position asshown in Fig. 2. 'When the rock shaft is turnedagainst the tension of thespr-ing'QO as, for'exa'mple bymeans'of a cord, 22; attachedto the rocker arm -21, the =first=actionisto draw the ends, 4, of'theffingers inwardly. Then, when the bases of the memberse on 'the inner side of the1ha'nd engage with-the outer endsj'of the and't-he fingersgives the fingersahigh de- 'gree of'fiezribil ityy so that they will adjust themselves readily to the contour of an arti cleftdbe grasped. Atj the same time that th'e'fingersareeIOs'i-n the thumbisalso moving inwardly toward the fingers and the palm'of'the hand. f

'My improved hand maylbe attached toiany suitable arm "member. 'To facilitate Iready attachment and "detachment I :provide the hand with a rearwardjly projecting post,':25, folm'iedat theaxisofthewvrisathepost being pointed, as indicated iatzi26, at its' rear end and beiIi'gfDI'OVi'ded with an annular groove,- 27, just in 'frontof the p'o'inted end. The-arm member,28, is provided with a hole or itu-nnah-29; through whic'h'the post 25 mayijprojectfand inwhieh itmay lee-seated. At the rear er inner end of'thebearing 29are two hinged half disks, '30, 'piVo'tally connected at corresponding ends to the members 29'so as "to be: capable of "swinging back" and forth at right angles'to the axis of theopening29 and from positions in which" the openinglis' left unobstructed to positions in which the opening is partly'closed. A suitable spring or springs, "31, 'best'shown in Fig. 10, presses the members. 30 toward each"other; A'pnsh btitton,'32, pro'j ect'in'g inwardly from the exterior of the me'n ber 28 and havinga wedge-shaped inner end,'33, serves to press the members 30 apartfrom each other, when desiredfso as to leave theope'n in'g, 29, un obstructed. The members 30 are approximately as thick asthewidth ofthegroove 27 in the post 25 and the 'parts are'so proportioned that when the handfmember is seated firmly against the end of the arm member,'the groove in the post will be in thesame plane as the halfdisks, 30. Therefore, wlientl'ie 'post is slipped into the opening or be'arin'g '29 'a's'faras it"wi'll'-'go, the peintedend enters between the half disks-30 and spreads them apart. As soon as the post has been pushed "in far "enou gh to 'brin'g 'the groove '29 in registration with the members 30,"th'ese 'members spring into the groove-and loclr the hand to thear'm-member. Whenit is desired "to detach the hand from'thearm member, an inward pressure on the push 'button'32 will spread the locking elements 30 apart and permit the postto 'bewithdrawn and the hand to be freed.

Another importantfeature'i 'ofmy? invention is a simple and efiective locking device for holding the hand closed upon an object Which it may be grasping, while permitting the hand to be moved about freely. To this end I have mounted on the forearm member, 28, a C-shaped piece, 35, preferably of steel; the opening, 36, between the free ends of the piece being narrow, preferably a saw slot. A hole, 37, of greater diameter than the width of the slot, 36, is drilled through the member 35, a portion of this opening lying in each of the two bounding faces of the slot.

.The actuating cord, 22, for the fingers is attached at its rear end to a rod, 38, which passes through the opening 37 the rod being somewhat larger in diameter than the opening so that it will be held in a vise-like grip by the member 35. In one side of the member 35 is a recess, 39, portions of which lie in both of the jaw members of the vise. In this recess is a cam, 40, which may conveniently be a small elliptical piece having such dimensions that when its minor axis is at right angles to the plane of the slot 36 it does not interfere with the vise-like action of the member 35 whereas, upon turning it through an angle of 90 degrees so as to bring its major axis at right angles to the plane of the slot 36, the two jaws of the vIse are spread apart so as to release the grip on the rod 38 and permit the rod to move or be moved freely. The cam is rigidly connected to a ratchet wheel. 41, having four teeth distributed at equal distances around the same. A spring, 42, adapted to engage with the ratchet teeth to prevent backward movement of the wheel. Associated with the ratchet wheel is an actuating arm, 43, movable independently of the wheel but about the same axis. On the zurtuatinparm is a spring pressed pawl preferably in the form of a flat-ended pin, %4-, which is adapted to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheel for the purpose of rotating the wheel.

The arm 43 is actuated by the act of bending the elbow in the following manner: On a bar, 50, or other part adapted to be attached to the arm above the elbow is an arm, 51, which projects radially from the pivotal axis between the members 28 and 50. The free end of the arm 51 is connected to the actuating arm 43 by means of a connecting rod, 52. By an inspection of Fig. 3 it will be seen that if the hand is raised so as to bend the elbow, the joint between the members 51 and 52 being stationary, the arm 43 must swing in the clockwise direction; the parts being so proportioned and arranged that the arm 43 moves through the same angle as the forearm and hand. In other words, if the hand is raised through an angle of 90 degrees, relatively to the upper arm, the actuating arm. 43. will be turned through an angle of 90 degrees.

In Fig. 5 the parts are illustrated in the normal unlocked position, the square end of the pin or pawl, 44, resting on one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel. The forearm, 2t), and the member 50 may he so constructed that whenever the actuating arm t3 reaches the position shown in Fig. this being also the position shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, further movement of the forearm in the direction to straighten the arm will. be arrested. This may conveniently be accomplished by providi mg the member 50 and a similar member, 55, on the forearm with cotiperating stops, 56 and 57, which will engage with each other when the arm has been straightened. When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 5 the actuating rod, 38, for the fingers is released, so that the hand may be opened and closed at will by manipulating the rod 38 in any suitable way as, for example, by means of a cable, 60, or otherwise. The arm may be bent and straightened ,out at will without affecting the lockin g device provided that the forearm is not raised through an angle somewhat less than 90 degrees. If the forearm is raised through an angle of 90 clegrees it will cause the pawl of the actuating arm 43 to travel back far enough to engage the first tooth to the left, as viewed in Fig. 5, turning the ratchet wheel just far enough so that when the arm is again straightened the tooth which in Fig. 5 is just under the pawl 41:4 will now be behind it as shown in Fig. at. Consequently, while the actuating rod for the fingers will still be free, the next bending movement of the arm will cause the ratchet wheel to be turned around to or toward the position shown in Fig. 6. releasing the gripping jaws and permitting themto close upon and hold the actuating rod. It will thus be seen that the hand and arm may be moved within limits with perfect freedom without bringing the locking device for the fingers of the hand into play but, when it is desired to lock the hand in a closed position, the forearm need only be swung twice through an angle of 90 degrees in order to bring the locking device into play. Then, when it is desired to unlock the hand a single movement of the forearm from the straight position throu h an angle slightly less than 90 degrees, will turn the ratchet wheel into the position shown in Fig. 5. If the unlocking movement of the forearm should be through an angle of 90 degrees, then the next upward movement of the forearm from a straight position would result in again causing the device to lock.

It is desirable that when the hand is raised as, for example. when a man raises his hand to grasp his hat, the hand he turned bodily. This may conveniently be accomplished by causing the hand to turn about the axis of the post 25 and in the supporting bearing for the post. In the arrangement shown, there is a sprin 70, connected at its ends to a pin,

, 71, projectingfrom the rear face of the wrist 76 between the end of the cord or cable end of the hand member and a pin,72, on the forearm member 28. This spring normallyholds the hand against accidental turning. A cord or cable, 73, .extends through a guiding hole, 74,.inthe member 28 and is attached to the pin 71; the pin being normally displaced angularly at a considerable distance from the hole through which the cord or cable passes so that when the latter is pulled it will cause the hand to producing any turning movement but, after the hand has been raised through an angle of say .45 degrees, a turning movement of the hand willtake place. The point at which such turning movement will take place may be regulated by means of a slack adjusterr,

3 and the arm 75.

The member 28 is preferably provided with a slot, 7 7, overlying'the path of move ment of the pin 71 so that'access may readily be had to the connection between the cord or cable and the pin for the purpose of connecting and disconnecting the same. It will be seen that by providing a detachable connection between the cord or cable and the pin 71, the entire handmay be detached after first disconnecting the cord or cable by simply. pressing the button 32 and without disturbing any of the mechanisms.

I claim:

1.- In an apparatus of the character described, two relativelvmovable artificial limb members, a look, a lock-c0ntrolling device, a ratchet wheel connected to said device for actuating the same, and means interconnected with said members for moving said ratchet wheel step by step through successive predetermined relative movements of said members from a predetermined relative position of said members.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, an upper arm member, a forearm member, a lock, means including a ratchet wheel for controlling the lock, and means interconnected with said members for moving said ratchet wheel step by step through successive flexing movements of said arm members through an angle of approximately ninety degrees from a straight arm position.

terconnected with. said members for moving said ratchet wheelste-p by step-through successive flexing movements of saidarm members through apredetermined angle from a straight arm position.

4. In an apparatus 'ofthe character described, an upper arm member, a forearm, member, a hand having movable fingers, a controlling means for said fingers, a lock for said controlling imeans and means controlled by relative movements of said arm v v 75 5. In an apparatus of the character described, an upper arm member, a forearm.

members for operating said lock.

member, a hand havingmovable fingers, a

controlling device for said fingers, a lock front of said bearing, spring means tending to press said catch'members toward each other, and means 'for spreading'said catch members apart, said catch members being provided in their meeting edges with registering semicircular notches having'aradius less than that of the post.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a hand member,a finger hinged at its base to the hand member and. having at an intermediate point a hinge joint in the vicinity of the back or outer side of the finger, an arm hung in the viclnity of the base of the finger, a connecting rod extending from the free end of said arm to a pointlying in the vicinity of the said hi ge joint in the finger and near the inner side of the finger, the adjacent ends of the finger members having stops to limit the relative an gular movements in the closing direction, and means for actuating said rod.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a hand member, a finger hinged to the hand member at its base and provided between its ends with a hinge joint located near the back or outer surface of the finger, a rod extending longitudinally through the inner end of the finger to the vicinity of said hinge joint, and a connection between said rod and the finger as far removed from the hinge joint in the finger as the thickness of the finger will permit.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a hand member, a finger hinged to the hand member and. comprising a third I joint and a combined first and second joint hinged together, an arm hung in the vicinity of the base of the finger, a connecting rod extending from the free end of said arm to the combined first and second joint, the adjacent ends of the finger members having stops to limit the relative angular movements in the closing direction, and means in said hand member for actuating said connecting rod.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, a hand member, a finger hinged to the hand member and comprising a third joint and a combined first and second joint hinged to the third joint, the adjacent ends of the finger members having stops which engage each other when the finger members have been moved relatively to each other through a predetermined angle in bending the finger, an actuating element extending through the third joint member and attached to the other finger member in front of the hinge axis between the hinge members, and means for moving said actuating element a sufficient distance to bend said finger member and then swing it inwardly about its hinge connection with the hand member.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, a hand member, a finger hinged to the hand member and comprising a third joint and a combined first and second joint, said joints being hinged together in the vicinity of the knuckle, an arm hung in the base of the finger so as to be capable of swinging about the hinge axis between the finger and the hand member, a connecting rod extending from the free end of said arm to a. point at the base of the second joint spaced apart from the corresponding hinge axis a distance approximately equal to the length of said arm, and means in said hand member for actuating said connecting rod, the meeting ends of the finger members being constructed and arranged to engage with each other and prevent further bending of the finger after a predetermined amount of bending has taken place.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, a hand member, a shaft extending transversely through the hand member in the vicinity of the knuckles, fingers hung on said shaft, a thumb hinged to said hand member, a rock shaft in said hand member in rear of the aforesaid shaft, operating connections between said rock shaft and the fingers and thumb, a spring tending to turn said rock shaft in the direction to open the hand, and means for actuating the rock shaft in the direction to close the hand.

13. In an apparatus of the character described, an upper arm member, a forearm member, a hand having movable fingers, a lock for holding said fingers against movement, and means controlled by the relative movements of said arm members for locking and unlocking the lock.

14. In an apparatus of the character described, an upper arm member, a forearm member, a hand member having movable fingers, a lock for holding said fingers against movement, and connections between both of said arm members and said lock for causing the latter to be alternately locked and unlocked by successive movements of said arm members from a straight arm position through a predetermined angle.

15. In an apparatus of the character described, an upper arm member, a forearm member, a hand having movable fingers, a lock for holding said lingers against movement, connections between said lock and both of said arm members including a lost motion enabling said arm members'to be moved back and forth from a straight arm position through a predetermined angle without affecting the lock, said connections being constructed and arranged to cause the lock to be alternately locked and unlocked through successive bending movements of the arm through an angle greater than the aforesaid angle.

16. In an apparatus of the character described, an upper arm member, a forearm member, a hand having movable fingers, a lock for holding said fingers against movement, means including a ratchet wheel for controlling the lock, and means interconnected with said arm members for moving said ratchet wheel step by step through successive flexing movements of said arm memhere through a predetermined angle.

17. In an apparatus of the character described, an upper arm member, a forearm member, a hand member having movable fingers, a lock for holding said fingers against movement, means including a ratchet wheel having four teeth for alternately locking and unlocking the look as the ratchet wheel is turned through successive ninety degree angles, an actuating pawl for said wheel, and connections between said pawl and said arm members causing said pawl to move through angles corresponding to the angles of relative movement between said arm members.

18. In an apparatus of the character described, a hand having movable fingers, a rod connected to said fingers, a comparatively heavy block of resilient metal having a jaw provided with registering seats partially surrounding the rod and adapted to grip the same firmly, and means for spreading said jaw so as to release the rod.

19. In an apparatus of the character described, a hand member, a finger hinged to the hand member at its base and provided between its ends with a hinge joint located direction.

20. Inan apparatus of the character described, a hand member, a finger connected at its base to the hand member, a hinge joint arrangedin said finger between the ends thereof and-in the vicinity of the back or outer. side of theifinger, and an actuating member extending longitudinally through the. baseiofthe finger. to a point opposite saidhinge jointand in the vicinity; of'the front or inner side of the finger.

21. In a fingered hand, three'members arranged end to end and hinged together in the vicinity of theback or, outer surface, a connecting rod extending through the inter.-

mediate member and terminating at its. ends opposite to the hinge joints at the ends. of the latter member, an arm mountedloosely so as to swing about the hinge at the inner or rear end of the intermediate member; conneoted to. the rear or. inner end of said rod in the vicinity oftheinnerside of the. intermediatemember, and a connectionbetween therein, a thumb hinged to said hand memher, a rock shaft 1n sald hand member in rear of the aforesaid shaft, arms hung upon the first-mentioned shaft connecting. rods extending, through the fingers. from. said arms and connected at their front ends to thefinger members beyond the-joints inthe fingers, connections between said armsand said rock shaft, a. spring tendingto turn said rock shaft in the direction to open the hand,

and means for actuating the rock shaft in.

the direction to close the hand.

23. In an apparatus of the characterv described, two artificial limb members hin ed together, alock, a lock-controllingdevice,

and operating connections for said lockcontrolling device including parts interconnected between said limb members and adapted to translate the movement of said limb members relatively to each other into a movement of the lock-controlling device.

In testimony whereof,"I sign this specific'ation.

FREDERICK C. HENNING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. 0. 

